NASCAR Nationwide Series at Phoenix 2014: Full Schedule, Standings and Preview
The annihilation of the Nationwide Series continued in Texas for Kyle Busch as he secured his 100th lower-level victory. NASCAR fans might be growing tired of seeing the Joe Gibbs Racing driver at the top, but Busch is looking for another checkered flag in Phoenix.
While Busch drives the No. 54 car on Saturdays, his magic number this weekend will be eight. Currently holding seven Nationwide wins this season, he'll be searching for his series-leading eighth trip to Victory Lane and eighth overall in Avondale.
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Of course, one main story this weekend will be Busch, but Chase Elliott's stranglehold over the series will be another one to watch. Already collecting a top-10 result at Phoenix earlier this season, another consistent race would all but clinch the title heading into Miami.
Leading up to another critical race on the Nationwide circuit, here's a look at the schedule, standings and preview ahead of the DAV 200.
Race Information
Where: Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Arizona
When: Saturday, Nov. 8
Start Time: 4 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Motor Racing Network
| 1 | Chase Elliott | 1146 | 3 | 15 | 25 |
| 2 | Regan Smith | 1098 | 1 | 7 | 24 |
| 3 | Brian Scott | 1083 | 0 | 6 | 21 |
| 4 | Elliott Sadler | 1078 | 1 | 6 | 23 |
| 5 | Ty Dillon | 1071 | 1 | 6 | 22 |
| 6 | Trevor Bayne | 1017 | 0 | 5 | 20 |
| 7 | Chris Buescher | 943 | 1 | 4 | 13 |
| 8 | Brendan Gaughan | 903 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 9 | Ryan Reed | 847 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | Dylan Kwasniewski | 813 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Race Preview
Heading into Phoenix, Busch's brilliance is likely to shine through yet again. Despite not being in the Chase at the Sprint Cup level, the JGR driver has continued to make his mark in Nationwide.
Not only was the win a memorable one for Busch in Texas, but he also made history for Gibbs, as the Nationwide account notes:
Having Sprint Cup drivers like Busch on the track each week might be frustrating for fans of the series, but it serves a purpose. Younger drivers like Elliott and Ty Dillon gain valuable experience, while the Sprint Cup drivers see how they perform on the track prior to Sunday.
Notable names on the track from the Sprint Cup also help ratings for NASCAR, as Dustin Long of MRN notes:
Outside of Busch looking for win No. 71, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson will also be in the running. With 13 total wins between the three, each of them will have a huge impact on how the race finishes Saturday evening.
In terms of the battle for a championship, it's down to Elliott to maintain his lead. Currently holding a 48-point edge over any other driver, Elliott simply needs another solid finish to have the points race wrapped up next weekend.
At 18 years old, Elliott would become the youngest driver to win a title across the three NASCAR national series. The rookie spoke about what a championship would mean to him, via NASCAR.com:
"It would be phenomenal. It would mean the world to me, and not just me, but our team and our sponsors, NAPA and everybody that makes it happen. We'll give it our best shot to do so. We'd still like to have another win or two before the year is out, so that's our main goal. …
So we'll give it our best shot each week and hope for the best and wherever it unfolds, it unfolds.
"
Regardless of who ends up winning the title, it would appear a JR Motorsports driver will likely hoist a trophy at the end of the season.
Regan Smith has also been a juggernaut on the track this year, but he has been just behind Elliott the last several weeks. As the situation with Dillon in Charlotte proved, no driver should ever be comfortable with his position with more races to come.
Between the points race and Sprint Cup drivers adding more talent to the event, Phoenix will be yet another intriguing one to watch.
Follow @RCorySmith on Twitter.
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